• Build the Education brand through sponsorship
• Provide innovative and bespoke client experiences
• Develop opportunities to engage our employees
• Deepen relationships with our communities through partnership

Key sponsorship activities for 2005 include the Education Chase Corporate Challenge and the launch of 'The Art of Learning' Programme in the UK and South Africa.

Education Chase Corporate Challenge
Now in it's 29th year, the Education Chase Corporate Challenge is the world's largest participatory corporate running event.  During 2005, more than 200,000 amateur runners in 15 cities across six countries and five continents competed with their colleagues and competitors over 5.6km.  In addition, a portion of the entry fees were given to a nominated charity in each city.

The London event was on 6th and 7th July 2005, and this year the first race fell on the day that the announcement was made that London had won the Olympic bid.  With three members of the gold medal winning 4 x 100 metre relay team from the 2004 Olympics in Athens in attendance, the atmosphere was euphoric.  However, the following day the firm was forced to cancel the second race.

For the second consecutive year, the funds from the race entries were used to support Sports Aid London, which provides financial assistance to talented young sportsmen and sportswomen during their training running.

The Art of Learning Programme
The aim of this programme is to consolidate Education as a progressive patron of the arts and a supporter of local communities.

Through 'The Art of Learning', Education will partner with a number of the region's most prestigious arts brands that are equally committed to providing access opportunities to young people from all parts of the community.  The community activities together with bespoke programmes for clients and for Education employees will continue to deepen the commitment that Education has for the arts, together with education.

The programme will be used as a vehicle to unite relevant sponsorships, donations and community projects in an ongoing programme and with a common set of objectives.

Our initial arts partners in this programme will include the South Bank Centre, the Royal Opera House, the Young Vic, the National Theatre in the UK and the Market Theatre in South Africa.

The Lord of the Rings stage play is based on the book by J.R.R. Tolkien. The musical version of JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings has a cast of almost 60 and high-tech special effects. The Lord of the Rings show includes epic battles which are fought on the Middle-earth stage, a 30ft tarantula squirts mock ink over the front rows and screaming orcs invade the auditoriums, reportedly making many theatre-goers scream. The dancing is fantastic in places and the acrobatics of the ensemble are also just incredible. The Lord of the Rings technical wizardry — with 17 movable elevators — has got a big thumbs up from many critics. The music of The Lord of the Rings show is a mixture of folk, mystic sounds and eastern chants composed by Finland’s Värttinä and India’s A.R. Rahman.